The present invention relates generally to a system for stripping or otherwise removing cured coatings of paint, varnish or the like from surfaces containing said coatings and, more particularly, to such a system which includes a paste stripper composition adapted to be first applied to the surface to be treated. Cover means are further provided for overlaying said stripper composition simultaneously with or after application of the paste stripper composition to the surface. The cover means are adapted to enhance the decomposition of the surface coating by retarding evaporation of the stripper composition and to assist in the removal of at least a portion of the stripper composition and decomposed coating.
It is well known in the art to remove or otherwise strip cured coatings of paint, varnish or the like from surfaces by treating the surfaces with a stripper composition or stripper system which includes an organic solvent such as, for example, methylene chloride as its active ingredient. Commercially available paint stripper compositions containing methylene chloride are, in fact, well known. The use of an organic solvent such as methylene chloride as an active ingredient in a paint stripper composition provides excellent paint stripping capabilities.
The use of methylene chloride as the active ingredient in such composition, however, presents a number of distinct disadvantages. The ability of such organic solvents to attack multiple layers of coatings at the same time is limited by the rate at which such solvents evaporate into the air. In many instances, particularly where there are many layers of paint to be removed, multiple applications are necessary with an attendant increase in cost and labor since each layer of paint must be scraped off by hand before any subsequent application of solvent may be applied. Further problems can be experienced when removing paint from curved surfaces and from intricately formed moldings. When using metal scrapers, in particular, considerable damage can be done to such surfaces.
The use of organic solvent stripper systems on vertical surfaces presents a still further problem since their application is difficult, if not impossible, to control. For example, the removal of paint from the door panel of an automobile where only a small amount of paint must be removed presents inherent difficulties due to run-off problems.
Against the foregoing background, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a paint stripper system which can readily and effectively be used on a variety of surfaces for the removal of cured surface coatings therefrom.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system which includes a stripper composition which is in the form of a paste and which has, at its active ingredient, an organic solvent such as methylene chloride.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a system wherein the stripper composition includes methylene chloride and an inert carrier such as, for example, kaolin.
It is yet another object to provide such a system which includes cover means adapted to to assist in the decomposition process of the cured surface coating to be stripped and, further, which permits ready removal of the decomposed coating from the surface.